Wave-absorbing breakwater

ABSTRACT

A wave-absorbing breakwater is a structure assembled of prefabricated blocks of concrete (or some other material) resting upon immovable bottom supports and having a sloping jumping-off site undercutting a wave, separating it from the water surface and guiding it onto a sloping superstructure made of blocks with through catch drains therein, where the energy of the waves is either dissipated or, if needed, utilized by means of conversion into another kind of energy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to protecting structures, and, moreparticularly, to breakwaters intended to protect coast areas, beaches,yacht berthings, and port installations from sea waves.

2. State of the Art

Breakwaters used at present are massive structures cutting off theentire depth of water (sloping or vertical dams) or resting on immovablesupports (transparent type breakwaters). They are intended to resist theimpacts of waves, to break the waves and to dissipate their energy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The breakwater of the present invention is a structure of concrete orother material resting on immovable bottom supports. The structure has asloping jumping-off site and a sloping superstructure with a knife-likegrate and through drain catches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a plan view of the breakwater of the present invention.

FIG. 1B shows a side view of the breakwater.

FIG. 1C shows a general perspective view of the breakwater.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Sloping jumping-site 1 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) is intended to undercut thewaves, to separate them from the water surface and to guide them ontothe sloping superstructure. The slope of the jumping-site and thesuperstructure is determined by the local conditions. Knife-like grate 4(FIG. 1B) of plastic or metal facilitates cutting the waves, reduces theimpact and contributes into absorbing the waves by through catch drains2 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) of circular or rectangular section. Additionally,through catch drains 2 may have spiral grooves along their interior.

Trough catch drains 2 divide water into numerous separate flows. Whennecessary the energy of the waves may be abated if the catch drains aresufficiently long, or, alternatively, water may be taken off at thedrains' outlets and its kinetic energy converted into a different kindof energy. For instance, water may be fed onto a turbine or turbines toproduce electric energy by means of corresponding hydraulic turbinegenerators.

The entire base of the breakwater with jumping-off site 1 (FIGS. 1A and1B) and the superstructure is placed upon immovable bottom supports 3(FIG. 1B) and may be assembled of prefabricated blocks laid side by sideto provide for the required breakwater length (FIG. 1A), stacked toprovide for the required breakwater height (FIG. 1B) and arranged faceto face to provide for the required length of catch drains 2 (FIG. 1B).

The side exposed to the sea (FIG. 1A) may have a straight or a concaveshape, depending on the average direction of the waves in the protectedcoast area.

-   1. The possibility to utilize the energy of sea waves. A simplified    analysis for a wave with a height of h=1.5 m, a front of λ=15 m, and    a period of τ=5 s shows that, the jumping-off site having a    steepness of 3 and the catch drain openings having a diameter of 0.3    m, the power output of the turbine per 1 linear meter of the    breakwater length will amount to N′=η 13,35 kWt, where η is the    turbine efficiency coefficient.-   2. A smaller mass of the structure, compared with the existing    breakwaters, since the breakwater of the present invention is not    exposed to the impact of the entire wave but to a partial impact, as    the wave is mainly absorbed by the breakwater.-   3. An unimpaired ecology of the protected area due to the unhampered    transfer of water and bottom soil.-   4. The blocks the breakwater is assembled of may be standardized and    put in mass production.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certaindegree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosurehas only been made by way of example, and that various modificationsthereof may be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter claimed.

1. A protecting transparent type breakwater made of concrete or other material, said breakwater comprising: a sloping jumping-off site, a sloping superstructure having a knife-like grate of plastic or metal and through catch drains having a circular or rectangular cross-section, or spiral grooves along their interior.
 2. The breakwater according to claim 1, wherein the breakwater may be assembled of prefabricated blocks.
 3. The breakwater according to claims 1 and 2, wherein water may be taken off the exit of the catch drains and its energy may be utilized.
 4. The breakwater according to any of claims 1 to 3 as described above with reference to the above specification. 